A protective bag for a hand, a web-shaped material and units formed on the basis of the web-shaped material

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a web-shaped material with perforated lines, whereby, when tearing the material along the perforated lines, for example at the place of use that could be in a supermarket, units can be formed for use as a kind of glove or mitten.

The present invention relates to a protective bag with a pocket for ahand and a web-shaped material, defining a number of units, each ofwhich has a pocket and which is created by division of the web.

The prior art already includes a multiplicity of disposable gloves. Oneexample is described in EP2436509, which, however, requires the use ofcomplicated production equipment for defining the individual fingers ofthe glove.

The prior art also includes webs of foil materials intended for beingdivided into individual units, known as “T-shirt bags”, with a handle.To provide the handle, the foil layers of such bags are not connectedall the way between the two ends of the bags.

The object of the present invention is, in a simple manner, to provide aprotective bag with a pocket, as defined in claim 1, and into whichpocket a person can insert his or her hand. The protective bag ispreferably for one-time-only use, can be manufactured at low costs andcan be used by a person for gripping around objects that should not betouched directly by the person, e.g. fresh food in a supermarket or forfilling up fuel at e.g. petrol stations.

The object of the invention is also to provide a web-shaped materialwith perforated lines, such as defined in claim 4, wherein, when tearingapart the material along the perforated lines, preferably at the placeof use, which e.g. could be in a supermarket or at the petrol station,units for use can easily be formed for use as a protective bag by aperson subsequently inserting his or her hand into the pocket. For thispurpose, the web-shaped material defined in claim 4 can be rolled up.

In order to illustrate how to use the protective bag/unit at the placeof use, each bag/unit can be provided with a print illustrating orsymbolizing a hand.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained further in the followingwith reference to the drawing, in which

FIG. 1 shows a section of a first embodiment for a flexible material webaccording to the invention, viewed from above, and

FIGS. 2 and 3 show corresponding sections of a second and a thirdembodiment, respectively, of a flexible material web according to theinvention.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , the reference numeral 1 generally indicates asection of a flexible material web, consisting of two thin plastic foillayers 4, 5 placed on top of each other, which are mutually connectedalong two parallel, longitudinal connection lines 10, 11, whichtypically extend continuously and rectilinearly in the longitudinaldirection of the entire web 1 as well as along a number of transverseconnection lines 15, each of which extends continuously transverse tothe longitudinal direction of the web 1 all the way between the twolongitudinal connection lines 10, 11. After manufacturing, the web 1 isrolled up into rolls with a web length of e.g. 400 metres and a diameterof e.g. 150 mm. In the shown embodiment, the web 1 has a width that canbe up to 300 mm, and the length D of the transverse connection lines 15,which will normally all be of the same length, is selected to assume avalue in the range of 140-300 mm, inclusive.

The two plastic foil layers 4, 5 preferably each has a uniform thicknessin the entire longitudinal direction of the web 1, and the thickness ofeach plastic foil layer 4, 5 is selected to be in the range of 3-30micrometres; preferably the one plastic foil layer 4 has the samethickness as the second plastic foil layer 5. Preferably, the foillayers 4, 5 are made of thermoplastic, in particular easilybiodegradable thermoplastic.

The web 1 can be manufactured in an initial procedure step, wherein anoblong and relatively wide plastic foil is mechanically and continuouslyfolded longitudinally, so that the two longitudinal and parallel edgesof the plastic foil are brought into alignment with each other. Afterthis folding, a folding line appears, which constitutes the first ofsaid two continuously extending longitudinal connection lines 10, thesecond longitudinal connection line 11 subsequently being formed by alocal linear welding/melting together of the two foil layers 4, 5,provided by use of a heated tool that is pressed against the foldedplastic foil 1 where said two longitudinal edges flush with each other,or possibly displaced, so that the second connection line 11 ispositioned slightly inwards towards the centre of the web 1.

Alternatively, two separate foil pieces 4, 5 in an initial procedurestep can be brought into contact with each other, one being placed uponthe other, to be welded together along their edges for formation of thetwo parallel longitudinal connection lines 10, 11; the connection lines10, 11 can in this case possibly also be formed, so that they areslightly displaced inwards towards the centre of the web 1.

In a third, preferred production method, the material web 1 is formed onthe basis of a flat and oblong flexible tubular sheath formed from athin thermoplastic foil, which is processed as described below. Theedges of this flat oblong sheath may thereby be understood as connectionlines 10, 11 between two foil layers as described in this text, andwherein the two longitudinal parallel connection lines 10, 11 are thusnot formed by carrying out any welding in the longitudinal direction ofthe web.

In a subsequent procedure step, said transverse connection lines 15 are,as described above, produced by carrying out a local linearwelding/melting together of the two foil layers 4, 5, all the waybetween the two longitudinal connection lines 10, 11.

By means of a number of transverse perforated/perforation lines 8,including in the form of rows of through-going holes through the twofoil layers 4, 5 formed in connection with the manufacturing of the web1, the web 1 can, for later use, be divided manually by tearing alongthe perforated lines 8 for providing a corresponding number ofindividual units or protective bags 2, wherein two successive perforatedlines 8 define a first end A and a second end B, respectively, of aunit/protective bag 2. Each individualized unit or protective bag 2 isthereby defined by two plastic foil layers 4, 5 lying on top of eachother, and which are connected along two parallel longitudinalconnection lines 10, 11 in the longitudinal direction of the unit 2,which connection lines A, B, as shown, extend all the way between thetwo ends A, B, between the perforated lines 8. Immediately at the firstend A, each unit 2 has one of the transverse connection lines 15, which,as described, extends continuously transverse to the unit 2, all the waybetween the two longitudinal connection lines 10, 11.

Preferably, the transverse connection lines 15 and transverse perforatedlines 8 of the web 1, each extend along a straight line that extendsperpendicularly to the longitudinal connection lines 10, 11; however, itis within the scope of the invention that the transverse connectionlines 15 and the transverse perforated lines 8 each can extend alongstraight lines that extend at another angle relative to the longitudinalconnection lines 10, 11, or along curved or differently shaped lines.

Along the two longitudinal connection lines 10, 11 and transverseconnection line 15 of each unit 2, a section of the circumference of apocket 40 is defined between the two plastic foil layers 4, 5. Access tothis pocket 40 is provided via a narrowed opening 20 at the second end Bof the unit 2; the width V, where it is smallest, of this opening 20 isgenerally selected to have a value in the range of 80 mm to 200 mm,inclusive, measured in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinalconnection lines 10, 11.

The opening 20 is more particularly demarcated by weldings 25, 30, whichlocally connect the two foil layers 4, 5, and which together with thetwo longitudinal connection lines 10, 11 and transverse connection line15 of the unit 2, demarcate the unit 2 pocket 40. The two foil layers 4,5 are not connected to each other on the inside of the pocket 40, i.e.nowhere in the area between the weldings 25, 30 and the transverseconnection line at the first end A of the unit 2.

The weldings 25, 30 defining the opening 20 are preferably linear andextend perpendicularly from each side of the two longitudinal connectionlines 10, 11 at the same distance from the perforated line 8, therebyforming rectilinear connection lines 25, 30 that can have the samelength, such as shown in FIG. 1 . In an embodiment (not shown), theopening 20 can, however, be demarcated to one side by a single suchlinear welding 25, originating from the one longitudinal connection line10 and on the other side by a part of the second longitudinal connectionline 11 itself.

FIG. 2 shows how the end connection lines 25, 30, shown in FIG. 1 , canhave a rounded section 25′, 30′ at the opening 20, with the width V ofthe opening marked as the distance, where this is smallest, between therounded sections 25′, 30′ measured perpendicularly to the twolongitudinal connection lines 10, 11. As mentioned above, this width V,where it is smallest, is generally determined to have a value in therange of 80 mm to 200 mm, inclusive, measured in the directionperpendicular to the longitudinal connection lines 10, 11.

FIG. 3 shows how the weldings 25, 30 can be configured as isolatedislands formed at a distance from the two longitudinal connection lines10, 11, with the width V of the opening marked as the distance wherethis is smallest, between the two isolated islands 25, 30, measuredperpendicularly to the two longitudinal connection lines 10, 11. One ofthe islands 30, which in a second embodiment is displaced in thedirection straight up towards the first end A, is illustrated by adashed line to show how the said width V also in this case is defined asthe distance measured perpendicularly to the two longitudinal connectionlines 10, 11.

The drawings also show an image of a hand H, which can be printed oneach unit 2, and which serves to illustrate how each unit 2 canadvantageously be used, namely as a protective bag, the pocket 40 withsuitable dimensioning of the units 2 being adapted in size to be able toaccommodate most of or the whole of a person's hand, preferably anadult's hand, which is inserted through the opening 20, normally withthe fingers close together. As the width V of the opening 20 is selectedto be in the said range, the unit 2 will normally be retained to thehand, so the unit 2 cannot easily fall off when the user spreads his orher fingers in the pocket 40. The hand H is printed before the web 1 isrolled up.

As shown, each perforated line 8 is preferably arranged immediately nextto and along a transverse connection line 15 belonging to an adjacentunit 2. The length L of each unit 2 measured between the two ends A, Bin parallel with the longitudinal connection lines 10, 11, whichnormally also corresponds to the length of the two longitudinalconnection lines 10, 11 of each unit 2, is preferably selected to have avalue in the range of 160-400 mm, which typically will be slightly morethan the length of the pocket 40, measured in parallel with thelongitudinal connection lines 10, 11, so that a person's hand can beaccommodated in the pocket 40 as described above.

The unit 2 can be used by a person for gripping around objects thatshould not be touched directly by a person, e.g. fresh food in asupermarket or the pistol at a petrol station. It should be noted thatone of the two foil layers 4, 5 can be selected to have a largerthickness, selected within the thickness range mentioned initially, thanthe thickness of the second foil layer, which is also selected withinthis thickness range. In this case, a roll of the material web 1 can beaccompanied by an instruction, showing the user how to apply the unit 2on the hand, so that the thicker layer faces the palm of the person'shand.

After use of the unit/protective bag 2, it can easily be crumpled up andbe disposed of.

The printed hand H can possibly be symbolized, meaning that the printshows a symbolized hand, wherein the two outermost fingers areidentical, more particularly, wherein the shown hand H is symbolized asbeing symmetrical around the middle finger. This can for example beselected in an embodiment, wherein the two foil layers 4, 5 aretransparent, and wherein this symbolized hand H is printed on the onefoil layer 4 only, so that it can be seen through the second transparentfoil layer 5. A person putting on the protective bag 2 is thus not givenan impression that the protective bag 2 will necessarily have to beoriented in a specific manner.

1. A protective bag comprising: two foil layers connected along twolongitudinal parallel connection lines of the same length, which lengthis selected to be in the range of 160-400 mm, inclusive, wherein eachbag at a first end has a transverse welding line, connecting the bag'stwo foil layers all the way between the bag's two longitudinalconnection lines, wherein the transverse welding line has a lengthselected to be in the range of 140-300 mm, inclusive, wherein the twolongitudinal parallel connection lines extend to a second end of the bagopposite the first end, wherein each bag at the second end has anopening to a pocket between the two foil layers, wherein the pocketextends from the transverse welding line to the opening and from the onelongitudinal connection line to the second longitudinal connection line,wherein the opening is demarcated by the two foil layers and i) bydiscrete weldings, connecting the two foil layers at the second end, orii) by two transverse welding lines, connecting the two foil layers andeach originating from a respective one of the two longitudinalconnection lines, or iii) by one transverse welding line, connecting thetwo foil layers and originating from one of the two longitudinalconnection lines, and by the second one of the two longitudinalconnection lines, wherein the width of the opening, where this issmallest, measured in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinalconnection lines, is narrowed by said discrete weldings or by saidtransverse welding line or lines, and is selected to be in the range of80-200 mm, inclusive, and wherein the thickness of each of the two foillayers is selected to be in the range of 3-30 micrometres.
 2. Aprotective bag according to claim 1, wherein at least the one foil layercarries a print that symbolizes or shows a hand, with the wrist at theopening.
 3. A protective bag according to claim 2, wherein the foillayers are transparent, so that the hand is symbolized or shown by aprint on the one foil layer and can be seen through the second foillayer.
 4. A web consisting of two foil layers of a thermoplasticmaterial, with transverse perforated lines, which between the two foillayers and in the longitudinal direction of the web define a number ofsuccessive units, each of which has a first end and a second end, andwhich are intended for being individualized by division of the web alongthe transverse perforated lines, wherein the two foil layers of eachunit are connected along two longitudinal parallel connection lines withthe same length, which length is selected to be in the range of 160-400mm, inclusive, wherein each unit at the first end has a transversewelding line, connecting the unit's two foil layers all the way betweenthe unit's two longitudinal connection lines, and wherein the second endof each unit is defined by one of said transverse perforations, whereinthe transverse welding line has a length selected to be in the range of140-300 mm, inclusive, wherein each unit at the second end has anopening to a pocket between the two foil layers, wherein the pocketextends from the transverse welding line to the opening and from the onelongitudinal connection line to the second longitudinal connection line,wherein the opening is demarcated i) by discrete weldings, connectingthe two layers or ii) by two transverse welding lines, connecting thetwo layers and each of which originates from a respective one of the twolongitudinal connection lines, or iii) by one transverse welding line,connecting the two layers and originating from one of the twolongitudinal connection lines, and by the second one of the twolongitudinal connection lines, wherein the width of the opening, wherethis is smallest, measured in the direction perpendicular to thelongitudinal connection lines, is narrowed by said discrete weldings orby said transverse welding line or lines, and is selected to be in therange of 80-200 mm, inclusive, and wherein the thickness of each of thetwo foil layers is selected to be in the range of 3-30 micrometres.
 5. Aweb according to claim 4, wherein at least one foil layer carries aprint that symbolizes or shows a hand with the wrist at the opening. 6.A web according to claim 5, wherein the foil layers are transparent, sothat a hand symbolized or shown by a print on one foil layer can be seenthrough the second foil layer.
 7. A web according to claim 4, whereinthe longitudinal connection lines extend in the longitudinal directionof the web.
 8. A web according to claim 4, wherein the length of eachlongitudinal connection line is larger than the length of the transversewelding line.
 9. A web according to claim 4, wherein one foil layer isthicker than the second foil layer.
 10. A unit provided by divisionalong the perforations of a web according to claim 4.